A Sappy Note About Friendship

There was a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead walking down the street. Missy, Chrissy, and Christy were their names...

No this is not the start of a joke, it really happened, on a daily basis! I was about 4 when we started this life long friendship. We would see other childhood friends come and go, but for about 8 years, we were together. We bonded on a daily basis, playing house, singing, dancing, thinking we ruled the world that was Chandler Street. Fighting, don't forget the fights. Those happened on a daily basis too. We swore we would never talk to each other again, then back together after lunch.

Fast Forward 20 years, life has taken us in different directions. We don't see each other but a handful of times each year and all 3 of us rarely can be found in the same room together. When it happens though, conversations are picked up right where we left them. Just like the other night.
For the first time ever the 3 of us, plus our families got together for a little cookout. We all gathered at my house for a nice night of conversation while all the kids played together. There have been times where 2 of our families got together but never all 3 families. It was awesome seeing all of our kids playing together while we caught up on life. It was fun to see how we have grown personally and how the families have grown. 

It was an early night due to tired babies, tired mamas and work, but those few hours were well spent. And these life long friends will always have a special place in my heart. We don't need to see each other everyday or even every month to know that we are still there. A best friend isn't necessarily a person you always see but someone who is always in your heart. So all those years ago when we promised to be BFF's 4-EVER, we truly meant it and I am glad these fantastic ladies are still in my life.

Here's to 29 more years of friendship!

"True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for awhile. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off..." -author unknown

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” -C.S. Lewis

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.Proverbs 17:17

Afternoon Coffee Break

Thanks to Gevalia and House Party  I had a great afternoon with friends!

First, if you don't know what House Party is, you need to check it out! Basically they help companies (like Gevalia) to find specific groups of people to try out their products. They do this by having "hosts" apply for parties. It is free to sign up and all you have to do is share! Share a little about you, share photos and videos, share House Party and selected companies on social media and share with your friends. If you are selected to host a party, you are given a party pack that contains fantastic items to share with your party guests! Click the link above to find out if there is a party you would be interested in!

Secondly, if you have never heard of Gevalia, you definitely need to try it! Why? Because Gevalia is the best coffee. Period. I was introduced to Gevalia Kaffe about 10 years ago and prefer it over any other coffee out there. They use to be a coffee club here in the states but originated in Sweden way back in 1853. Now you can find their coffee in the isles of your local stores, although their online store has more variety.

And now onto the party deets!

My Gevalia House Party Pack included a bag of their house blend, which is a medium roast, to share with all the party goers. It also included stainless steel travel mugs, signature coffee scoops and coupons galore! There was 2 coupons for a free bag of coffee so I gave those to the last 2 guests to leave. Due to the craziness of the past week (graduations, last days of school, etc.) not a lot could make it but we had a good time anyway. There was 6 of us, 2 were a couple friends from my high school years, we reconnected through facebook last year so it was good to catch up with them.

It was a fairly hot day and my A/C wasn't working properly at first I chose to have iced coffee. Thankfully my hero dad came over and found a blown fuse so we ended up with a nice cool house. So we had ice coffee with the House Blend and I also brewed up Gevalia's Raspberry Danish which
was on sale last month and thought it would be a great addition. My friends tried and loved both! And since then I have had about 6 glasses of iced coffee!!!!!

What goes better with coffee and conversation than sweet goodness!? Nothing! Since Gevalia is a Swedish delight I decided to make Scandinavian treats to go along. I made swedish rolls with Lingonberry preserves, Ischoklad (translation is "Ice Chocolate"), rosettes and bought some ginger snaps. I also prepared fruit in waffle cones with a cream cheese dip. Everything was awesome!

My friends had a great time. They loved the coffee and snacks but what made it fantastic was to be able to take a couple hours away from it all and relax. At first I was worried because I know how busy everyone is and wasn't sure anyone would be able to make it. It all worked out, had fun myself and felt more refreshed. I love taking time out with friends.

Now, to figure out how to get the huge frosting stain off the basement floor where the kids were decorating their own cookies.


Genesis 3:8a When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden.

First concert was a snooze!

Last night I took my six year old son (MJ) to his very first concert! I wasn't too sure how he was going to respond to this atmosphere, considering he hates loud noises, but he insisted on going. My daughter, (PJ) 8, has gone to a few concerts, including last months Winter Jam show, so it was his turn. The headlining band sang his favorite song "God's Not Dead", the only song he is willing to sing during worship, so I figured this would be the best opportunity for his first concert.

The only reason why we were able to attend the Newsboys show was due to the concert tickets I won through K-LOVE's contest. I saw a posting on their Facebook page, stating any Omaha area listeners can text for a chance to win tickets. I had forgot all about it over the weekend, then come Monday I received a surprise text. "Hey guess what?! You just won 2 newsboys tickets". We were all excited! The original plan was to take my daughter but after MJ showed interest, his big sis graciously agreed to hang out with Paca and Gramma instead, so he could go.
After dropping PJ off last night, the boy and I ran through the Runza drive-thru so he could get some dinosaur eggs (aka mini corn dogs) and a Sprite. It was right across the street from the concert venue, Bellevue Christian Center, so we sat in the car eating while the line dwindled. Close seats didn't matter to us so waiting was perfectly OK. Once he filled his tummy we headed down the walk (taking the short cut down the very steep grassy hill was fun in itself).
We got in pretty quickly even though we had to wait in the "will call" line, and headed to find seats. I let him lead and we ended up at the top of the balcony. It was great for him except a group of teens/tweens, were, well, acting like teens/tweens. We went back down to get MJ a couple flashy foam sticks (it was his first concert after all, lol). While down in the foyer, we found ear plugs for sale, which was great because I forgot his ear plugs in the van. We loaded up and went back up to the balcony, but decide to find a more comfortable spot. And we found the PERFECT spot for us! Dead center at the very top! Since it is a smaller venue (large church, maybe not quite a mega church), we could fully make out who was who, and we had enough room for MJ to move around without bothering anyone too much. I stuck the ear plugs in his ears and got comfortable until the concert started.

We didn't have to wait long and Campbell came out on stage! This was a girls duo I have never heard of before. From the couple songs we heard, I could tell my daughter would have really liked them! The next band was All Things New, and I really enjoyed this band! They sang a few songs, of which I had heard 2 before. I love the background story of the lead singer, and they really know how to worship! I stole the picture at left from their Facebook page. See that red light at the very top above the microphone? Yup that's us!

 At this point the noise level was really starting to get to MJ, even though he had the ear plugs in. I told him there was one more band before Newsboys and we would go after we heard his favorite song. He was OK with this, and when Brit Nicole came out, he really got into the music. He was dancing and waving his flashing sticks around clapping with them, etc. This lasted for a whole 2 songs. My son, the boy who doesn't care for loud noises, laid down and promptly fell asleep!!! I, on the other hand, enjoyed the rest of Brit Nicole's performance. She is a teeny-bopper styled artist (complete with back ground dancers, although due to her being pregnant didn't do much dancing herself), but her messages are fantastic and the beats really get you moving! Another artist my daughter would love if she had been there! 

 During intermission, while they set the stage for the main event! I held my little man while he sleep (the only time when it is OK if your date falls asleep is when it is your son). I figured once Newsboys took the stage it would stir him, or I would try to wake him. It was a school night anyway and it was normal bedtime.

As they were trying to usher the crowds back to their seats with a 2 minute count down, I tried to wake him with no luck. I replaced his ear plugs that fell out and covered his ears for added measure. T-10 seconds! The screaming and cheering didn't bother him. Then the Newsboys hit the stage and the wall I had my back on started vibrating, the lyrics to 'Something Beautiful" (my personal fave of theirs) began to ring out. MJ could care less! 

Then silence and darkness...

During the 3rd song, "Love Never Fails" the stage lost power, at this point, my son woke up. What's going on?! Apparently a couple circuits blew. The crowds were entertaining themselves, chanting, yelling. After about 5 minutes I asked MJ if he wanted to go or wait to hear his song. It was after 9pm at this point, he was still halfway asleep and he just wanted to snuggle up in his bed. We ended up leaving as soon as the sound and lights came back up. Mommy had to sacrifice the rest of the concert though, her little buddy needed to get home.

On the walk back to the car, he was happy with his first concert experience, and his night out with mommy. He was also excited about finishing his food. He's a boy, "Mom, I am always hungry" he usually says.

In the car, as he finished his dinosaur eggs, I asked what his favorite part was. "Besides sleeping in church", I said. He sets his empty Runza bag on the seat next to him, leans his head back and says "Sleeping in the car".

 It might not have been exactly what I wanted his concert experience to be, but he was content. He can now say he went to a concert and can tell all his friends about it during show and tell, while he show off  his flashing foam sticks (he actually gave one to his sister this morning). Will he ever go to a concert again? I don't know, but according to him, it was a great night. Even if he didn't get to hear his favorite song played live.

 Psalm 131:2But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.



Ears Wide Open

Tomorrow my eight year old daughter will be have whats called a sistrunk procedure.
PJ has a bump on her throat we first noticed 4 years ago, after issues with her season allergies. Our general practitioner referred us to an ENT doctor, after having x-rays done, where they confirmed the "bump" as a thyroglossal duct cyst. At that time the ENT doctor stated it is not uncommon and could possibly go away on its own then come back with sinus drainage . Well, it never went away. In fact it gradually grew every fall and spring when she had allergy congestion and when she had colds.
Two weeks ago, she ended up with the rampant influenza virus sweeping across the country. Thankfully PJ did not have as severe of a case as the rest of the family, (mommy was down for a week!) with a fever for 2 days, sniffles and then a cough lasting only a week. However this minor case caused her "bump" to grow the biggest it has ever been, about the size of a half dollar. This is when I decided to make an appointment with the ENT to schedule a removal.
I didn't have contact information or even remember the name of the office where we took her the last time. I did remember the doctor's name though and "googled" her name. After calling the office to schedule an appointment, I found out this information was out of date and was not the current work place of this ENT doctor. I scheduled the appointment anyway, knowing my daughter's information was easily accessible since it was the same health organization. Come to find out it wasn't even the same office! But my instincts told be it would be fine. After filling out paperwork,  getting my son situation with coloring pages (which he willingly colored 2 pictures, this is a miracle in itself) sitting PJ in the "cool" chair, we got to talk with this "other" doctor.
I am so glad we did! Come to find out the former doctor didn't like doing this procedure and had this current ENT doctor do the procedure on her patients when they needed it. He has done this procedure hundreds of times and is very confident about it. I was put at ease. He talked directly to PJ about everything as well, which she loved.
During the consult he mentioned it is easier to remove the cyst when it is at its smallest, while we were there I noticed it was actually the smallest it has been in a long time (yes, it shrank in the last week)!!! Everything seemed to be lining up for this to be done, so I decided to schedule the surgery. For PJ's sanity (she like to linger on things until they become all she thinks about), I thought it best to schedule it sooner than later. Never in my dreams would I think that sooner would be 4 days from our appointment! Yes, our visit was only last Friday. Everything was indeed coming together smoothly!
We have a pre-op exam this afternoon, then we head to the hospital tomorrow morning at 8:30 for the removal of the thyroglossal duct and the hyoid bone. PJ is in good spirits about the whole thing, more excited about getting it removed and an overnight stay in a hospital! I am confident everything will go well (maybe oddly confident, I keep being told I should be nervous be because my daughter's throat will be cut open, ha ha!), and she will have a smooth recovery.
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In Proverbs 8, Solomon talks about Wisdom. The chapter talks about listening and discerning. The following scriptures stood out to me, relating to the past couple weeks:

1Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice!

 6-7Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception.

14Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.

33Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.

 

God's hand was in this the whole way, from finding the right doctor to the shrinking of the cyst, from timing of procedure to the calmness of patient and mother. All because I had wisdom to listen.
God gave us all wisdom, (some call it the little voice in your head, some call it conscience) we just have to be open to listening.

Isaiah 55:3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.

Call me Ephphatha

"Call you , what now?!"
Call me Ephphatha!
Why on earth would I want you to call me... um, what was it again?
Ephphatha... Ef-fa-tha, Aramaic for "Be Opened".
Let me back up a bit here. I don't make New Year's resolutions, I haven't in about 10 years. I never keep them, feel like a failure when the year ends, and nothing was accomplished with that goal. Two years ago I heard about this challenge, the "One Word" challenge. Basically, you pick a word to describe who you would like to become. Keeping this word in mind you shape this characteristic as a process, rather than trying to change in one day. This year my church has decided to do this together, creating a type of accountability. (more info can be found at My One Word or One Word 365)
This year, after deliberating, praying, soul searching, for a couple weeks, I decided on my word. There are a few reasons why I chose the word I did. Right now, I am at a transitional period in my life. I bought a house last year, I am in the process of looking for a job, I want to be more active in my kids' daily life and well, things just aren't the way they should be. When I laid it out on the table, what I wanted to change, the word open kept coming to mind.   Open to new opportunities. Open to be me, the real me. Open to change. Open to possibilities. That's when I decided my word would be...  You guessed it! OPEN! While finding a scripture to help me along with this word, I came across a little story in Mark.
Mark 7:31-37 is about a deaf, mute (some say mute, some versions say speech impediment) man who was brought to Jesus to be healed. Jesus, led the man away from the crowd, stuck his fingers in the man's ears, spat on his own fingers then touched the man's tongue, and said "Ephphatha". Immediately the man could hear and could speak as plain as any other.
That's what I want. No, I don't want some dude to spit on his finger then stick it in my mouth. I want to be able to listen to opportunities, speak the truth and (going one step further) I want to see the possibilities.
The meaning of the name Ephphatha is "open minded woman", so as I said before:
Call Me Ephphatha